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Has anyone done any real research about paid directories?

Im doing a little link building and in the industry Im working in there are quite a few directories....most offer free inclusion as long as you link back to them. This process can be slow due to the number of people trying to get listed.

Also most offer a "express service" whereby you can get your site reviewed and uploaded faster if you pay a nominal fee circa £15.

I'm not refering to any old directories these are directories which are industry specific and related to my site, however they are not confined to the country I am in (UK) but extend world wide

So that got me thinking has anyone actually done any conclusive research which suggests that either A) you will not get any benefit from being included in such a directory or B) that you get penalised if you do so or C) none of the above and there is some benefit.

I have been using open site explore and I can see these sites are giving link juice to my competition (as far as I can tell ofcourse) I found a site with almost all of its back links from these types of directories ranking on the first page for a very competitive term (67% using Keyword Difficulty tool)

4 Responses

My thoughts are you should avoid these types of directories (especially the ones that let you in only after you link to them).

Stick with the few general ones that are worth it: Yahoo, DMOZ, Business.com and maybe BOTW.

For the niche related ones you're looking at, have a set of criteria for them to meet in order for you to consider paying them for a link. I go by:

Does the directory rank for its homepage keywords and related keywords?

What's the quality of sites already in the directory ? Do they rank ?

Does the directory list sites which you would expect to be listed? For example, if the directory has a "Social Media Blogs" category, you would expect "Mashable" to be listed even though the owners of mashable may not have submitted their site to it. In order words, Does the directory add sites on its own or do they just wait on submissions?

If there is a fee, do they make it clear that the fee is for a review and that a listing is not guaranteed?

What types of incoming links does the directory itself have? If they are all spammy, you should avoid it.

Thanks for the reply this seems like a good answer but I need to understand why you would avoid them.

Is it a gut feeling or do you have any real evidence or even a reasoning you can share...the issue I have is because SEO is so secretive often people make assumptions without no real basis.

The issue I have with Yahoo (other than the price with no guarantee of inclusion) or even Dmoz is that they are not neiche they are not really in my industry so wouldnt it be better for me to get a listing in a directory that is about what my site sells rather than a big one for all directory?

1. It's a little bit of both gut feeling and more evidence. Sometimes you can look at a site and just know that it's not a place you want to be. Just like you can look at a dark alley and know that's not where you should be at 1am in the night.

You gather the "evidence" by answering those questions I provided.

2. I am sure (almost positive) that a single link from yahoo dir will be better than dozens from the types of directories you're describing. There's a reason it costs $299. If you truly do have a quality site, then you shouldn't be quite worried about inclusion. They are strict, but not that strict.

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